Printing apparatus.



G, Wl MERRELL. PRINTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED EAB. 26, 1908.

LL S W f M x/z A Aw n fa Wl TNE SSE S G. W. MERRILL.

PRINTING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. ze, 1908.

W/TNESSES V.INVENTO/- Patented Apr. 13, ISG-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

entren GUY W. MERRILL, Ol" LINCOLN, MAlNE.

PRINTING APPARATUS.

No. s117384.

' Specification of Letters Patent..

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application sied March 2e, 190s. seriai no.A 423,337.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that l, GUY W. MERRILL, a citizen or' the United States, and a resident of Lincoln, in the county of Penobscot and btate of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Printing Apparatus, of 4which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. y This invention relates to certain improvements in printing apparatus, and more particularly to that type of apparatus in which each one of a' series of'blanks is subjected to the printing action in succession.

rthe invention is adaptable for use in printing sensitized blanks by bringing them directly into engagement with a negative, through which rays of light pass, or by bringing them into engagement with a sheet of glass upon which the image is projected, I or by bringing blank sheets of paper against a form presenting inked type for contact 'with the blanks. v

"Ehe vinwsntion involves means orsupporting a pack of blanks, which may loe either sensitized or plain cards, or sheets of paper, av supporting surface, .which ma .be Va negative, a plain sheet of glass or a orm ci? type and against which each blank is held during the printing action, and a blank carrier operating to successively remove the blanks separately from the pack and present them 'to the surface. The supporting. surface and the pack of blanks are preferably in planes at an angle vto each other, and the blank earrier is preferably mounted' upon swinging arms, pivoted .so as to per- -mit of the desired movement of the blank carrier. The blank carrier preferably presents gelatinous surface suliciently adhesive to automatically retain ablank in engageent with the carrier ande permit of its be- Cil 1 j .ing transported to the proper distance after the printing action, but fpermlttmg the, readyremov'alof the' blank rom the earner after the printing action is completed.

if Reference is to -be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specificaon, in which similar characters of reference diente corresponding parte in all the ligities', and iii-Whiche- I li re is a perspective view of one form whic my linvei'ition' mayv assume,.and shovifing the carrier in engagement With a pack of blanks; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the apparatus shown in Fig. l and showing the carrier holding a blank in position for printing; Fig. 3 is a central section through the carrier and supporting means for the blanks; and Fig. 4l is a sectional view showing the carrier on the return movementand in engagement with the blank-removing appara tus.

The specific form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings is adapted for exposing sensitized cards to a negative through which rays of light may pass, but it is evident that the character-of the cards and the character of the surface into engagement with which they are successively pressed, may be varied AWithout departing from 'the spirit of my invention.

.In the specilic form shown, l rovide a horizontal base l0, to which is rigidly secured a vertical front ll and a frame :formed of oppositely-disposed side bars 12. The front is provided with an opening 13 therethrough, and adjacent the opening, upon the inner side thereof are suitable clamping members le and l5 for holding a negative 16 over the opening upon the inner surface of the front Wall. ik suitable shutter is provided i'r'or closing this opening and preventing the' admission of light to the negative,

said shutter being illustrated as a swinging plate 17, hinged adjacent the lower odge of the opening and having a link 18 adjacent the pivot and lattached to an operating rod 19, extending through the front wall li. For preventing tliepassage of light through the opening around the rod 19, a small slide 20 is preferably provided, having an aperture the size of the rod, and movable ver-v tically to accommodatedor the necessary movement of the rod in swinging the shutter to its openA or closed'position.

The frame having the oppositely-disposcd side bar's'l2 is substantie' y parallel to the vertical front 11, and 'atfthe upper end 'of' the bars there is Vprovided a rock shaft 2l at substantially the same elevation lasthe cer-51er of the negative'. The side bars also er ve to support-the rear "endet the shutter- .operating rod 19, which latterhas-atransg-y verse portiolr'122 eatendirig across from one bar to the other, adjacent the upper end, and held in suitable eyelets on the sides of the bars, A coil spring 23 connects the vertical front With the transverse portion 22, and serves to move the 'vertical rod 19 to such a position that the shutter i7 will remain in its closed position. By pulling outward on the rod 19, the shutters may be opened against the action ot1 the spring.

Directly between the side bars 12 is a tray for receiving the c ards to be printed upon. The'tray is movable .longitudinally of the base and between suitable guides25 which hold it against lateral movement, is preferably of substantially the same size as the cards, so that the latter. Will be held in a pack or series with their edges in vertical alinement. Biieient sized trays may be provided for different sized cards, or the tray itselic may be made adjustable. The

lcombined platen and card carrier comprises two bloclrs 26 and 27, held together by a plurality of screws 28, each of which istreely movable through the block 27 but is held against movement in respect to the block 26. Between the two blocks are a plurality of springs 29, which normally hold the blocks spaced apart to the maximum distance, but Which permit of a .rocking or side movement of one block in respect to the other. The under surface of the block 27 is so constructed that When brou ht linto engagement with a card, the latter will adhere thereto. Preferably, the under side of the block carries a coating or la er 30 of a gelatinous material which is suiliciently adhesive to retain a card when brought into engagement therewith out which will not prevent the ready removal of the card. The block 27 is pivoted at its opposite ends to swing arms 31, which latter are pivoted to the case adjacent the intersection of the latter with the vertical :iront 11. The block 27 vis also rigidly secured to an operating rod 32, which extends vertically from the upper surface thereorn and through an opening in the rock shaft 21. IThe hinges or pivots upon ,Which the arms 31 swing are at substantially the same distance'trom the tray 24 as they are from the negative 16, so that the under side of the card carrier may be lowered into the tray, as shown in li`ig.I 1, in order to pick up a card on the adhesive surface; or by lifting .upward on the rod 32 by means of a suitable handle 33, the card carrier may be raised and moved in the arc of a circle having'the arms for radii, Vuntil it negative. At this time comes adjacent the vthe rod 32 will have tilted the card carrier,

so that the card' assumes a substantiall vei-, tical position, and by mmfmg the rot end- Wise, the card will ne brought directly against the negative, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The handle will than be adjaeent the rlhe tray transverse' portion v22 of the shutter-operating rod, and by drawin the two together the shutter will be opene and the light rays permitted to pass through the negative onto the'card. i

Intermediate the tray and the base. of the negative support or front wall, I provide a suitable apparatus for detaching the cards' Ward and doivninto the tray 'to receive the next successive card. The chute 3lmay, if

desired, lead through an aperture in the bot' l tom of the Ibase to a drawer or other container 37 beneath the saine.

As the arms 31 are pivotedat one end, it is evident that the limiting position of the card carrier Will vary with the height of the pack of cards in the tray 24:', and l therefore provide means for moving the tray longitudinally of the base as the number .of cards in the tray decreases.' For accomplishing this result, the ends of the tray are preferably provided with inclined slots 38 and the ends of the block 26 of. the `carrier are provided with pins 39 adapted to enter the slots and move the tray along its guides 25 as the carrier descends toward the bottom of the tray, This insures each and all of the cards occuf pying identically the same position upon the carrier. v

lThe light may be directed through the opening 13 and the negative from any suitablev source. lf desired, the entire apparatus may be inclosed in a cabinet, so that daylight may shine through the opening, or the apparatus may he formed open at its rear, as illustrated in the drawing and the iront wall.

ll may be placed againsta wall or curtain 40 having an opening therein of as great, it' not grea.ter,-size than the opening 15j. In this case, the room at the side of the wall l0 containing said apparatus would be darkened, while the source of light would be located on the ppposite side ot' the u'all l0.

lf desired different sized trays' or blank carriers may be provided for ditereut sized cards, and the opening 13 may be enlarged,

or reduced b suitable 'borders to correspond with the dii'erent sized cards. blank carrier is illustratedv as comprising two blocks,- but it is evident that a single block may be employed in place thereof and rigidly secured to the rod. The gelatindus material is illustrated as covering the entire under surface of the block, but may be used 'only on a, relatively small-portion of the area, the remaining surface being covered to The card or the same a roiriniate thickness' with felt soft rubber, or other yielding substance. l

.to secure by Letters Patent:

l. lin combination, means for supporting a pack of blanks to. be printed upon, a printing plate against which each blank is held during the printing action, and `a combined platen and blank carrier operating to remove said blanks separately from said pack and present them to said plate.

2. In combination, means for supporting a pack ot' blanks to be printed upon, a printing plate against which each blank is held during theprinting action, and a combined platen and blank carrier movable back and forth between said pack-supporting means and said platel and operating to lremove said blanks separately and in succession from said pack and present them to'said plate and hold them in engage-ment therewith during the printing action.

3. In combination, means for sup aorting a plurality of blanks to be printe r upon, a supporting member against which each blank is held during the printing action, said supporting means and said member being in planes at an angle to each othei', a blank carrier movable back and forth between said supporting means and said member, and pivoted arms for supporting and guiding said carrier. f

4t. In combination, means for supporting a pack of blanks to be printed upon, a supporting member against which each blank is heid during the printing action, a combined platen and blank carrier operating to remove said blanks separately from said pack and present them to said member, said platen presenting an adhesive surface for temporarily retaining said blanks in en-YV gagement therewith.

In combination, means for supporting a pack of blanks to be printed -upon, a support-ing member against which each blank is held during the printing action, and a conibined platen and blank carrier operating to remove said blanks separately from sai-l pack and present them to said member, said platen presenting an adhesive surface for temporarily retaining said blanks in engagement therewith.

G. In combination, means for supporting .a pack of blanks to be printed upon, a supporting member against which each blank is held during the printing action, a combined platen and blank carrier operating to remove said blanks separately from said pack and presentthem toA said member, said' carrier' presenting an adhesive surfacev for temporarily retaining said blanks in ,fengagement' therewith, and' means for automatically removingthe blanks from said carrier during` the return movement of the latter.

Tfln combination, means tor supporting a pack ot'blanks, a` carrier Jfor removing said blanks separately therefrom, said cai'- ricr havingl a surface of gelatinons material, a receiver, and means above 'said receiver and adaliled to engage with said carrier for removing the, blanks therefrom and directing-them into said receiver.

S. ln combination, a support :tor a negative, a carrier for a sensitized blank, said carrier being movable to bring said blank into engagement with said negative, an operating handle for said carrier, a shutter lor controlling the passage of light to said negative, and an operating handle for said shutter.

9.' ln combination, a support for a nega# tive, a carrier for a sensitized blank, said carrier being movable to bring said blank into engagement with said negative, an operating handle for said carrier,V a shutter Jfor controlling the passage of light to said negative,Y and an operatingahandle for Said shutter, said handles being adjacent each other and adapted to be simultaneously operated.

l0. In combination, a support for a negative, and a carrier for a sensitized blank, said carrier comprising two blocks resiliently mounted in respect to each other, one of said blocks having a surface of gelatinous material adapted to retain the blank, and the other block having. an operating handle attached thereto.

ll. In combination, a tray for supporti-ng a pack of blanks to be printed upon, a carrier for separately` removing said blanks from said tray, arms, each having one end thereof secured to said carrier and having t-he opposite end pivotally mounted, and means t'or varying the position of the tray in accordance with the height of the pile of Lblanks therein.

l2. In combination, a support for a negative, a combined platen and carrier for a sensitized blank, and a. receiver adjacent said support and having an upwardly-exg tendingspring member adapted to engage with the sensitized blank during the movement ofthe combined platen and carrier away from the support, to remove said blank :from said platen. n

13. In combination, a combined platen and blank carrier having a surfacein partot adhesive material and having a recess therein, and a spring member adapted te .pass oversaid blank during the movement of the platen and carrier in one direction and I adapted to enter said recess to remove the. blank `from the platen during movement of the latter in the reverse direction.,

14. ln combination, means for supporting a pak of blanks to loe prinled upon, a sup- In testm'ony whereof llave signal my portmg member agaulst Whlh each blank is name to this 'speclatlon 1n the pesence held during the prmtmg actlon, a combmed of wo subscribing wlnesses.

platen and blank carrier', a rod for moving A. GUY W. MERRLL. 5 Saud earner, @nel va -rock shaft havlng an lltnesses: H

aperture therem at an angle to the ams ARTEMUS Fv/ETHEHBEE,

thereof, lthrough which said rod may slide.`g ASA F. RcARDsoN. 

